Note: This lovely and poignant poem also spoke to my heart of the real immigration from one state of awareness to another, the change of perception that comes with stepping onto the Sufi path, or any mystical path. Like the door, the path promises nothing, it is only a path.

It is related in Muhammad Sa’id al-Jamal ar-Rafai as-Shadhuli’s eloquent book, Music of the Soul, that at the time he was a disciple of Sidi ‘Abd ar-Rahman, may God be well pleased with them both, there was a troublesome old man in Damascus who everyday would throw stones at the zawiyya, the Sufi lodge. Each time the incident of stone throwing happened, his guide would say, “Send him mercy. If he wants food, give him food. If he wants clothes, give him clothes. If he wants money, give him money. Give him what he wants.”

When he, according to the advice of his guide, provided for the old man, he would gather his sons and would throw more stones at the zawiyya.

He asked himself, “What is the wisdom in this?” Then he would again go to this old man and gave him some food and some money and some clothes from his guide, but at the same time he felt something very strong about this person. His guide said to him, “There are many messages when this old man throws stones at the zawiyya.”

Then one day the old man became sick and the eminent guide sent his disciple to him. When he arrived at his house, the old man woke up and asked, “Who is there?” He mentioned his name and the old man began to weep and he started to say Astaghfirullah! (seeking forgiveness from Allah). And after some days, he came to live in the zawiyya. And he became a holy student under the guide.

When Sidi as-Shadhuli later wrote down this story, this man was already one hundred and five years old. Later when he met him in Amman, Jordan, the old man said, “Sidi, excuse me for throwing stones at the zawiyya. But if I had not hit the zawiyya, I would not have reached God. How could I have known the guide and the Way, if I had not thrown stones?” The guide saw the wisdom of his actions and knew that this old man was one of his students.

This story has a picture illustrating it. The picture is of the date tree. “Be like this tree,” advises Sidi. “When any person throws something to hit the date tree, it gives him back sweets. This is the right way.”

“If anyone makes something bad for you, or speaks in an unkind way, understand Who speaks and Who hits. Be sweet and give to everyone who wants sweets, because after the fire is the garden and after the darkness is light. It is necessary to see within everything, to see where it is coming from and to return it to God. Be polite! Everything is the Face of God.”

– Edited from a longer post on Sadiq’s Mystic Saint blog. (Muhammad Sa’id al-Jamal ar-Rifai as-Shadhuli is now the Head of the Higher Sufi Council in Jerusalem and the Holy Land. He is also a teacher at the Holy mosques at al-Aqsa in Jerusalem).

If you know any publishers or book editors of Spanish language books in the US or any Spanish speaking country, or Foreign Rights agents that work with Spanish speaking countries, please let me know in the comments, or by email at: Irvingk57 at aol dot com.

Inshallah, with your help, Master of the Jinn will soon be published in Spanish and many other languages.

Alhamdulillah! I have been named the Marketing Director of The Islamic Writers Alliance, whose website you can view by clicking HERE. And I urge all Muslims in the literary arts to join this worthy organization.

From the IWA website:The Islamic Writers Alliance is a national professional organization with an international membership for Muslims involved in the literary arts — published and aspiring authors, novelists, poets, essayists, publishers, editors, illustrators, journalists, spoken word artists, and playwrights. We support one another in our goals as writers, whether it be honing our craft, seeking publication opportunities, or promoting our published works to both the Muslim and non-Muslim world. We are dedicated to writing about, presenting, and supporting positive Islamic fiction and non-fiction reading materials, in all genres, for all ages.
The IWA is an inclusive organization and welcomes Muslim men and women of all races, ethnicities, linguistic backgrounds, abilities, and creeds.

This is true. All members of the IWA – whether they write books, plays, poems, newspaper articles, blogs, or are graphic designers of the written word – have one thing in common. Each is dedicated to portraying Islam is the best possible light in both fiction and non-fiction, and to advancing the cause of quality Islamic Children’s Books, and Islamic Fiction and Non-Fiction for teens and adults.

Many of the Muslimah in the group write Islamic Children’s Books, which are sorely lacking in schools and libraries, especially in masjid libraries. They are also excellent to use for Muslim home-schoolers.

The dues for joining as a full member are only a nominal $25.00 per year. If you cannot afford it, or live in a country where it is difficult for you to pay in US dollars, there is a fund set aside to provide your membership fee. And you get your own webpage and bio, plus a sales link to your book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc., or to your website or blog if you wish. And it’s a great way to network for writers :)

You also will receive the quarterly magazine Islamic Ink, to which all members are encouraged to contribute stories, poems, and articles.

Once again, click HERE to visit the Islamic Writers Alliance website, and check out the catalog of books by its members, including many excellent children’s books.

Join me in supporting this worthy and growing organization by becoming a member today.

The Prophet (pbuh) said:“By Him in Whose hand is my life, the servant will supplicate God Most High while God is angry with him, and God will turn away from him. Again he will supplicate, and God will turn away, and again he will supplicate, and God will turn away. Then again he will supplicate, and God Most High will say to the angels, ‘My servant refuses to call upon anything other than Me so I have answered him.”